The Devil You Know
by TheFABFive2015
Summary: TAG 2015. A tag to Power Play. After seeing The Hood fight The Mechanic, Scott's left to wonder what his next move might be.


Holy guacamole, wasn't Power Play just brilliant?! Seeing it on the big screen was amazing, but it was just as FAB on TV. Virgil, Gordon and Alan - what a team! And that launch for Thunderbird Four - oh yes, more of that, please!

As he watched that fight between The Hood and The Mechanic, Scott must have wondered what was happening. So with reference to Touch And Go, here's my thoughts on where this humdinger of a plot twist might lead.

Enjoy!

* * *

The Devil You Know

Scott Tracy had been born to fly. He slept it. Breathed it. Lived and loved it, in every possible way.

Like this, though?

"Whooooaaa-yeeeeee- _aaarrrggghhh_!"

Not so much.

"Oooh, that's gonna hurt tonight."

Scratch that. It hurt right now. Crashing into those mannequins had *not* been part of the plan - hence the wariness with which he squinted up at the shadow that now fell over him. With breathing still a bit of a challenge, a rueful plea for mercy was all he could manage.

"Uhhhm... ouch?!"

The shadow above him shook its head, then extended a hand to help him back to his feet - the voice that followed nicely balanced between concern, amusement, and exasperation.

"Yes, that's going to leave an... interesting bruise."

Chastened by his 'no kidding' glare, the rest of Kayo's apology was as gentle as the hand that settled onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Scott. I didn't realize you weren't ready. And why do I get the feeling this training session isn't really on your mind right now?"

In Kayo speak - time to talk out whatever he'd left out of last night's debrief. A discussion that Scott was equally keen to have. For the sake of his butt, though - yeah, they'd have it somewhere nice, and soft, and comfy.

Private, too. A place where his concerns couldn't be heard by curious little brothers. The couch in his office ticked all the right boxes. An extra cushion, and a tray of coffee and cookies made it just about perfect.

Settling beside him, Kayo had already guessed where all this was heading. The Hood. Her hated, _hated_ uncle. As soon as she'd heard his name, she'd known what would inevitably follow. As much as she hated it, being related to the Tracy family's sworn enemy could never change, so it couldn't be avoided either.

Yet the thought filled her with pride, gratitude, and - yes, relief too. Despite everything he'd done to her adopted family, the trust that Scott still had in her loyalties, and judgement to defeat him, spoke volumes for the bond between them. A connection that again brought her hand onto her Commander's shoulder. Whenever he was ready to share them, Scott's concerns were hers as well.

Staring into his mug of coffee, he was still clearly trying to process them. Like every good leader, he was considering this situation from every possible angle. Assessing what it meant. And, most critically of all, trying to identify any threat it posed to his family. Prompted by the gentlest squeeze on his shoulder, he finally raised his head, and turned to face her.

"That fight, Kayo. Seeing our two biggest enemies, slugging it out like that, I - I just can't get it out of my mind. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd have never believed it, and... well, you've seen that footage too now. What did you make of it?"

Aaah yes. The no holds barred slugfest that she'd double-taked at too. She'd had to watch it again to fully believe it. She'd always thought that The Hood's relationship with The Mechanic had been one of partners, working together for the same purpose. To be proven wrong was as troubling as it was surprising. So yes, it took Kayo the same length of time to consider her reply, before she voiced it.

"To be honest, Scott, I'm really not sure. I can only guess that they've had some kind of fall-out. In their craving for power and control over the world, there wasn't enough room for two such massive egos. You know as well as I do how arrogant The Hood is. Even when we thwart his plans, he's still so insufferably smug. Or maybe The Mechanic's help in breaking him out of jail wasn't repaid as Mr Mecha expected."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too," Scott agreed, with a tiredness that betrayed how much it still worried him. "But for every part of me that recognizes what he did for us yesterday... keeping those mechas away from me while I rescued those workers..."

"...the greater part of you knows you still can't trust him," Kayo finished for him, her voice reflecting her own conflicted emotions. "Trust me, Scott, you're absolutely right to be wary. I wouldn't trust my _uncle_ as far as I could throw him."

That won her a huff of laughter - a rueful reminder that she'd tossed _him_ into those mannequins like he was one of Gordon's paper-balls. But then the smile faded as more serious thoughts returned.

For Scott, as always, those thoughts revolved around his family, and how he could keep them safe. For Kayo, it was memories of the girl who'd once idolised her favourite uncle. Whose shock and disgust at what he'd become would always be tempered by the fact that she also owed him her life.

Would he really have let his goons kill her that day? Was there still a chance of redemption, and reconciliation between them? And if they ever met face to face again, could she really look into his mechanised eyes, and trust the man behind them?

As if by an unseen influence, Scott then glanced towards his desk, reaching to retrieve the photo that took pride of place upon it. 30 September, 2052. The day when International Rescue completed its first mission. A day of such pride, when his family had all been there to share it.

Together. Safe. Complete.

Now the ruthless criminal who'd torn that family apart seemed to be switching sides. For reasons unknown, he was working against his former partner. And despite Kayo's support, its reason and implications still bugged the hell out of him.

Why? Was this Project Sentinel so powerful, so dangerous that even The Hood had tried to stop it? And if that were the case - how the hell could he protect his family from its threat?

The same question that had kept him fretfully awake through much of the night, with no kind of answers. As John's hologram blinked into life, all that was about to change.

Assuming it was another callout, Scott started to rise to his feet. Then he saw his brother's expression. Even in its projected form, his brother looked serious. Shaken. Just as he'd looked when their father had gone missing, and - oh, God.

Oh, God. No.

"It's okay, Scott. Grandma landed safely a few minutes ago."

Even as he sagged in relief, Scott could sense the 'but' that was coming. Never in his life, though, could he have predicted its cause.

"But we _have_ had a call, and... well, you'd better join the others in the den," John continued, still clearly struggling to believe it himself as he glanced in turn between his brother and Kayo. He needed to take another deep breath before he revealed who that call had come from.

"It's The Hood. He wants us to meet."


End file.
